Improved latch



, same. I

enonenw.- LARGE, or YELLOW SPRINGS, OHIO.

l Letterslatent No. 97,934, dated December 14, 1869.

IMPRovEn LATCH.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

` I, GEORGE LARGE, of Yellow Springs, Greene county, Ohio, have invented a new andusefnl improvement in Gate-Latches; and do hereby describe the I Nature and Objects-of the Invention, My improved latch, in its complete form, consists,

. essentially, cfa rigid latch on the gate,a gravitat-ingcatch on the latclrpost dropping in front of the'latch to retain it, and a rolling lifter, to carry up the latch toits position behind the catch, without friction; saidv lifter serving further, preferably, to elevate the. catch for the passage of the latch, beneath it, 'and to supportthe gate against sagging, and; also, if desired, to assist in opening the gate. i

The provision in said 1ifter,`in the connection named,

` constitutes my invention;

General Description. In the.' accompanying drawings-`V Figure l is a perspective View of agate, titted with myimprovemena and open.

Figure 2 is Va side v iew of the latter, partly in sec tion, and in the closed position.

A, BJ-and C are, respectively, the hinge-post, the latch-post, and the gate, which parts may have the usual, or any preferred form.

` `a curved part, f",'and van upward projection, f, t0 receive the' impact of the .latch-bar when `the gate is` being closed.

The lgate-post B has a recess, G, to receive the part `fof the lifter, when the gate is closed.

llbove the recess G is attached a metallic plate, H, to which issecured a gravitating-catch, I, by means ot' screws or `rivets It, which occupy a vertical slot, fi,

`in the catch.

The operation ofthe `latchis as 'follovsz Then the gate is closing, the rigid'latch D irnpinges 'against' `the upward `projection ff of the lifter F, and

carries'ba'c'k the same -until it enters the recess G in the latch-post, the said --projection rising, in passing the gravitating-catch I. When/the latch has passed f .beneath the catch, thelatter slides downward, and engages the latch, as seen in tig. 2.

When it i's'desired to open the gate, the catch I is raised, and the gate may then be readily opened.

The horizontal part of the lifter may (ii preferred) be made of sniiicient weight to throw opcnthe gate, when the catch is raised.

It is impossible for cattle to uniasten or open the gate, as thecatch projects but a slight distance from the gate-post, and is preferablylocated so high there- .P

on that no part of the animal will come in contact therewith.

. The gate Acannot be thrown up by stock, as the 'fixed-latch,Y when the gateiis closed, fits immediately beneath the lower end of the plate H, to which the gravitating-catch is secured.

The latch and lifter being arranged on the face ci" the post, as shown, which the latter' is adapted for, by its peculiar construction, the use of a latch, of such length as to insure proper engagement with thecatclr in all conditions of the gate, is permitted, and the latch further enabled to abut'against the post. l

In its employmentto elevate .the catch, it greatly facilitates this, affording an upward pressure.

While preferring the L-shape for my rollinglifter, it isproper to state that any other form may be employed, whose weight will depress the lifter, when the gate is open, in themanner explained.

v The screw oij rivet-holes in the latch D may be extended endwise, to form. slots, and by that means render the latch adjustable.

Claim.

I claim, as lny invention- .The employment, in-combination with a rigid latch, 

